Limerick hospital with 163 Covid patients moves to second stage of surge plan 

Close contacts of Covid cases are asked to return to the frontline to handle roster shortages as 579 healthcare workers are unable to work for Covid-related reasons. 

University Hospital Limerick is under immense pressure from rising hospitalisations. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is moving to the second stage of its surge capacity plan to handle rising Covid-19 hospitalisations. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Colette Cowan, chief executive of the University of Limerick hospitals group, said the next two weeks are going to be very difficult for the hospital and that they are in an "emergency situation".